NBA: Ranking 7 most dangerous lower seeded teams that could make a Finals run

Ranking seven of the most dangerous lower seeded teams that could end up making an NBA Finals run.

Phoenix Suns v Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns v Oklahoma City Thunder | Joshua Gateley/GettyImages
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With the start of the NBA Playoffs on the horizon, we rank seven of the most dangerous lower-seeded teams that could end up making an NBA Finals run.

The start of the NBA Playoffs is just around the corner. The NBA Play-In Tournament will begin April 16 and runs through April 19. The official start of the NBA Playoffs is April 20. The NBA's regular season ends in less than two weeks. With the final few games of the regular season already holding heavy weight for many teams, in a couple of weeks, every game is to mean that much more.

As we inch closer and closer to the NBA Playoffs, we rank the seven most dangerous lower-seeded teams that have the best chance to make an unlikely run to the NBA Finals.

Honorable mention: New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans check in as an honorable mention. While I don't think there are many that are expecting the Pelicans to make a deep playoff run, they certainly have the talent (on paper, when healthy) to pull off a first-round playoff upset and then perhaps make some noise in the second round. The Pelicans' playoff hopes are going to fall on the shoulders of Brandon Ingram.

If he's healthy, the Pelicans, with the way they've been playing in the second half of the season, could prove to be a dangerous team in the Western Conference standings as a likley fifth or sixth seed. If the Pelicans can get some favorable matchups in the playoffs, they could potentially make some noise in the Western Conference bracket.